Stuff you have made today

[Country Joe]

I didn't actually film that one, I was driving the combine.

I do have a drone though. Mine is a different model to the one that filmed that but has basically the same features, it has the ability to track an object, you basically fly the drone until its looking at the object you want, then select the follow me flight mode, highlight what you want it to follow, from then on it'll follow the object, if you want it to stop following the object just switch off follow me mode and it'll hover at the same spot and height until you either re activate follow me or manually use the controls.

As for avoiding obstacles, mine doesn't have that ability, the next model up from mine does have collision avoidance which is basically cameras all round the drone that can detect stuff and avoids it.

Hi, fraserb - thanks for the detailed reply.

I'd often wondered how much control they have, and have also noticed how stable the footage seems to be.
I'm guesssing the cameras have built in image-stabilising, nowadays.

My only drone "operation" stint lasted only seconds - it was a (particularly crap) toy that was bought for "Kid Joe" over ten years back.
It really was like something out of the "Lucky Bag"
And from somewhere very near the bottom!

I managed to get it all the way from the front room floor to the ceiling (maybe 2.5m) within about a second, before it plumetted.
I had about three attempts, before giving up - but before long it was broken - but the kid did get to try it out too - just!

It was obviously not anything like the item you're using there - and I'd be surprised if it cost a fiver - including batteries!

The combine driving looks pretty damned good too, as @slim_boy_fat said above.

Now I've got a load more YouTube videos to watch - so thanks!
But anyway, getting a bit of a "hypo" right now, so first - it's time to eat!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Country Joe]

It was obviously not anything like the item you're using there - and I'd be surprised if it cost a fiver - including batteries!

Is "self-quoting" bad Forum etiquette!

Anyway, just to clarify - the "fiver" part refers to the shonky item I was using - definitely not yours!

CJ

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Is "self-quoting" bad Forum etiquette!

If you can't 'edit' your original post, you're alright.

 

[Country Joe]

What are you on hardware wise Fraser? Trimble?

We have an old agleader/trimble ez500 for spreading fert, on the free signal. I wish I could justify buying a steering motor and a subscription signal.

Nice to hear a bit of all this farmery stuff, too - it's like being back at school.
I realised that tractors were linked to GPS, and that the fields could be mapped out, so as to avoid trees, etc.
I'm assuming the steering motor is the part that keeps it in line & turns around at the end of a row, to start the next one?

Never really thought about it being a subscription service, though - I assumed the signal in the air was free, and that all the rest was software-based - in the same way (but obviously more complicated) that you'd program a GPS in a road-going vehicle.

I've got an old hand-held GPS unit that tells you the acreage (or whatever other units) of an area if you've walked around it - so I'd guess you have drive around the perimiter of the field, so the computer knows the outline shape, and it works it all out from there.

Dunno why I'm asking - I'd never be let loose with one of those things, anyway!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Fraserb]

What are you on hardware wise Fraser? Trimble?

We have an old agleader/trimble ez500 for spreading fert, on the free signal. I wish I could justify buying a steering motor and a subscription signal.

We've 2 nh systems which are basically trimble and 2 jd systems, all of ours are fully integrated with steering valves. It's one of our deere systems that we run on the free signal and in all fairness its pretty accurate, still gunshot straight and generally more accurate than the 20cm quoted. Pay for sf2 on the other deere, nh tractor is on rtx and combine system is on rtk.

 

[Fraserb]

Nice to hear a bit of all this farmery stuff, too - it's like being back at school.
I realised that tractors were linked to GPS, and that the fields could be mapped out, so as to avoid trees, etc.
I'm assuming the steering motor is the part that keeps it in line & turns around at the end of a row, to start the next one?

Never really thought about it being a subscription service, though - I assumed the signal in the air was free, and that all the rest was software-based - in the same way (but obviously more complicated) that you'd program a GPS in a road-going vehicle.

I've got an old hand-held GPS unit that tells you the acreage (or whatever other units) of an area if you've walked around it - so I'd guess you have drive around the perimiter of the field, so the computer knows the outline shape, and it works it all out from there.

Dunno why I'm asking - I'd never be let loose with one of those things, anyway!

All the Best,
CJ

The base signal is free and keeps them accurate enough for a lot of jobs, the subscription gains you more accuracy, the rtk system is accurate to 2cm and if I was to drive a set of wheel marks today I could come back anytime in the future and would land on exactly the same marks.

You can map the perimeter of the fields and create inner boundaries and such, for the straight bits you mark a point A and a point B and it draw a straight line between them then generates your tracks from there.

 

[Fraserb]

Hi, fraserb - thanks for the detailed reply.

I'd often wondered how much control they have, and have also noticed how stable the footage seems to be.
I'm guesssing the cameras have built in image-stabilising, nowadays.

My only drone "operation" stint lasted only seconds - it was a (particularly crap) toy that was bought for "Kid Joe" over ten years back.
It really was like something out of the "Lucky Bag"
And from somewhere very near the bottom!

I managed to get it all the way from the front room floor to the ceiling (maybe 2.5m) within about a second, before it plumetted.
I had about three attempts, before giving up - but before long it was broken - but the kid did get to try it out too - just!

It was obviously not anything like the item you're using there - and I'd be surprised if it cost a fiver - including batteries!

The combine driving looks pretty damned good too, as @slim_boy_fat said above.

Now I've got a load more YouTube videos to watch - so thanks!
But anyway, getting a bit of a "hypo" right now, so first - it's time to eat!

All the Best,
CJ

As you say the camera has built in stabilisation, it's mounted on a gimble under the drone aswell to smooth out movements. The drone has GPS and altitude holding so is a lot easier to fly than the cheaper ones, basically you fire up the rotors and it'll sit there you speed up the rotors and it'll take off, as soon as you let go of the controls it'll stsy at that height and just hover until you move a control again.

 

[Fraserb]

This was a demo unlock on one of our screens.

 

[Munkul]

Nice to hear a bit of all this farmery stuff, too - it's like being back at school.
I realised that tractors were linked to GPS, and that the fields could be mapped out, so as to avoid trees, etc.
I'm assuming the steering motor is the part that keeps it in line & turns around at the end of a row, to start the next one?

Never really thought about it being a subscription service, though - I assumed the signal in the air was free, and that all the rest was software-based - in the same way (but obviously more complicated) that you'd program a GPS in a road-going vehicle.

my experience with the cutting edge stuff (autosteer, rtk 2cm signal etc) is with contractors... who generally are in and out, so still the easiest way for them to get on with it is set a straight line in the field, and work from that.
Press start, drive your straight line in the field, press end, and then the GPS plots out parallel lines to infinity from there They'll turn manually at the end of the fields, set back into work and click auto, and it will drive the next line for them.

Curves, object avoidance, etc, is too complicated unless you're on absolute bleeding edge tech and your fields are mapped.

Also, some of these tractor tools pull the steering something rotten. I was riding along with a local guy disc-harrowing a field for us the other week, and it was surprising how much the discs tried to steer the tractor - GPS had to be set to account for some of it. They're on SF3 and RTK as well.

 

[Fraserb]

my experience with the cutting edge stuff (autosteer, rtk 2cm signal etc) is with contractors... who generally are in and out, so still the easiest way for them to get on with it is set a straight line in the field, and work from that.
Press start, drive your straight line in the field, press end, and then the GPS plots out parallel lines to infinity from there They'll turn manually at the end of the fields, set back into work and click auto, and it will drive the next line for them.

Curves, object avoidance, etc, is too complicated unless you're on absolute bleeding edge tech and your fields are mapped.

Also, some of these tractor tools pull the steering something rotten. I was riding along with a local guy disc-harrowing a field for us the other week, and it was surprising how much the discs tried to steer the tractor - GPS had to be set to account for some of it. They're on SF3 and RTK as well.

The worst things we have for pulling the steering is the front presses, when drilling need to run the aggressiveness pretty high, back it off a fair bit when your on stuff like spraying or fertiliser when there's no machine pulling it and your travelling faster.

 

[Country Joe]

For some reason, I really like the thought of a self-driving tractor - but as you've had them for so long, I imagine the autonomous cars they're now talking about, just raises a wry smile!

I think I'd be really studying closely it all the time - so much so that it'd take more concentration than actually driving!
As for "object avoidance" - if any jay-walkers don't notice you - they deserve what's coming! **

Off to look up SF3 & RTK, now!

All the Best,
CJ

** Obviously, in a combine it's probably tricky making that decision between letting the jay-walker pass - or comtaminating the crop!

 

[Fraserb]

For some reason, I really like the thought of a self-driving tractor - but as you've had them for so long, I imagine the autonomous cars they're now talking about, just raises a wry smile!

I think I'd be really studying closely it all the time - so much so that it'd take more concentration than actually driving!
As for "object avoidance" - if any jay-walkers don't notice you - they deserve what's coming! **

Off to look up SF3 & RTK, now!

All the Best,
CJ

** Obviously, in a combine it's probably tricky making that decision between letting the jay-walker pass - or comtaminating the crop!

When you first start using the autosteer you do tend to keep an eye on it right enough, the first time I used it for drilling headrigs around corners I was convinced it was wrong but I let it go and sure enough when the crop came through the ground it was bang on.

 

[Scruffywelder]

There's a Canadian farmer who has developed an open source GPS/autosteer system called Agopengps that's actually pretty slick. His vids on YouTube (farmerbriantee IIRC) are well worth a look.

I think he's built his own base station using arduino kit to give an RTK signal.

 

[selectedgrub]

I will shape these tines to carry the wire.
The trick is to make it not look like a silver fork.

 

[Country Joe]

There's a Canadian farmer who has developed an open source GPS/autosteer system called Agopengps that's actually pretty slick. His vids on YouTube (farmerbriantee IIRC) are well worth a look.

I think he's built his own base station using arduino kit to give an RTK signal.

So I see.
I notice in AgraBot Rolling While I'm Seeding, he's controlling it with a phone.

Hopefully his signal never drops out - I can picture a John Deere cantering about like a headless horse, dragging freshly destroyed macinery around a field, before hedge-dragging it's way around nearby roads.

Around your neck of the woods (particularly Dumfries & Galloway) it would possibly go un-noticed - I still remember seeing a couple of people moving some sheep to another field, using a quad and a white XR3i - somewhere between the fish ponds & the nearby botanic garden, at Port Logan!

Also had a wiring fire in a van in Kirkudbright, a long time ago.
A lot goes on, up in that county - I could go on - but I'm on a nostalgia trip, now!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Maker]

Finally back on the shed roof, I laid the T&G (Matching?) groove side up like you would a floor, it didn't occur to me the felt would drop into the groove and look bad/hold water/split. Four tubes of gripfill later...

 

[8ob]

With some oil from a virgin called Olive, some bits of dead pig and a few eggs off a mate I made an omelette

 

[nickk]

So on recommendation from a local man who does full time copper roofing,I’ve added some more supporting bars,just waiting for some sheets.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

virgin called Olive

That's a false hood Popeye spread around town.

 

[mtt.tr]

With some oil from a virgin called Olive, some bits of dead pig and a few eggs off a mate I made an omelette

View attachment 248232

Must be in the name, my dads a bob his speciality is omelette.

To the degree that if mum was working late we'd have omelette ive eaten to many not for me anymore.